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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Well everyone, let me just say that I am the kind of person who once in awhile needs a change of scenery. This change has come this time to the blog. That's right...All That Glitters has a new home and a new name! You can follow it on Bloglovin here.

Obviously I am going to keep this blog here just because I can't transfer ALL of my content to the new site and I like to reference myself here and there :) I hope that you will all follow Sunday Brunch!!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Since the weather has been getting so nice, I have been dreaming about all things summer. Dresses, swimsuits, bright jewelry and of course (if you know me at all) shoes! Not that I need need, can afford, or have any room to store them I have been browsing summer footwear like it is my job. If you know of a place where I can be paid to look at pictures of shoes please drop me a comment!

Here are just a few of my favorite sandals I have found in my internet adventures.

<3 Ashley

Have you busted out your open toed footwear yet! What are your favorites?

Monday, May 19, 2014

This sketch of Heinz Chapel on campus as a result of a stressful week.

Happy Monday everybody! This was definitely a great weekend to have. Up until this weekend I have been spending day in and day out in bed...on the couch...watching tv...on the computer. Really it was very sad. None of my friends were out of school yet and everyone around the house was working. Well finally my friends are home and we got a night in this weekend to catch up and get into our typical shenanigans. Also, I'm now employed for the summer! I don't have to worry about having no money all summer.

Before any of this happened I had been thinking for awhile about what I could do to better pass the time. I've spent some more time reading outside which has been nice. But I wanted to actually feel like I was doing something. When I was younger one of my hobbies was art. Over the years I drew, maybe a little painting, sewing, knitting, writing, you name it! But I've stopped. I want to start up again. During the semester I was super stressed and decided to sketch to distract myself. The drawing was actually pretty good considering the time I haven't done anything. I want to get back to this hobby of creating, letting the creative juices flow, and keeping myself busy.

Friday, May 16, 2014

IT'S BACK! How long has it been really since I've done one of these posts?? Well TGIF Pins is back with just small modifications. Rather than two pins per category, I am only going to be posting one each. No big deal really. I have been experiencing quite the Pinterest overdose so there is plenty of material for me to be choosing from. Enough with the words though! For your viewing pleasure...my pins of the week!

Thursday, May 15, 2014

If there is one thing I love about summer is the fact that it is so much easier for me to eat healthy. It's so hot and there are very few times I want to go near a piping hot meal. Instead I eat A LOT of fruits and veggies. Salads and smoothies are a constant during these coming hot months. My biggest obsessions are berries! Blueberries, strawberries and raspberries are always in the refrigerator. I have taken the liberty of looking up and finding what fruits are in season and at there best here in the U.S.

-Apricots

-Blackberries

-Blueberries

-Cantaloupe

-Cherries

-Grapes

-Grapefruit

-Honeydew

-Limes

-Nectarines

-Passion Fruit

-Peaches

-Plums

-Raspberries

-Strawberries

-Sugar Apples

-Watermelon

**Apples, avocados, bananas, cranberries, coconut, lemon and papaya are in season all year round!

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

I have seen these books on several blogs including Stephanie Sterjovski's site and I have since fallen in love with them. I am a big fan of F. Scott Fitzgerald and his work--ever since I was introduced to "The Great Gatsby" in my junior year of high school. These books covers were designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith in honor of the 70th anniversary of the author's death. I love the metallic and art deco patterns; they definitely make for gorgeous book covers!

You can find them on the Penguin Books website. They are priced $26 per book. Over the course of the summer, I hope to collect the books one by one as I make money. Fingers crossed for owning all six by September!

Monday, May 12, 2014

Happy Monday everyone! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and was able to spend Mother's Day with their mamas. Mother's Day here was celebrated with a homemade brunch that I slaved over--maybe I'm exaggerating--with some help from the bro. We came up with quite the spread: strawberry scones, herb and ricotta omelets, peanut butter and banana oatmeal, and sausages. Yum, right?!

I got the scone recipe from Mara over at M Loves M. Her recipe was for strawberry lavender scones; unfortunately, we could not find lavender so we had to cut it from the recipe! They were still absolutely delicious. Find the recipe here!

Both of the recipes for the omelet and oatmeal came from the book "French Women Don't Get Fat" by Mireille Guiliano. The omelet I altered a bit since I did not have the fresh herbs that the recipe called for. Rather I sprinkled in a dried mixture of Herbs from Provence. This was also my first time using ricotta cheese in an omelet. I liked it! Ricotta is not the strongest tasting cheese, but I did like it. I also made homemade oatmeal for the first time. It was so quick and easy! Just some old-fashioned oatmeal, water, a little milk and butter, and finished with the peanut butter and banana. Everything was delicious!

Thursday, May 8, 2014

The first book of break is read! This is a momentous occasion...I can tell you're enthusiastic too. About a month ago I saw Emma Watson on Twitter talking about this book that was coming out by Ava Dellaira, "Love Letters to the Dead." It sounded interesting so I promptly went on Amazon to pre-order the e-book. I started reading it after I finished unpacking here at home. I loved this book!

It is pretty different. It is written entirely in letter form. The reader is able to follow the story pretty easily through what the main character, Laurel, writes in the letters. Throughout the story, Laurel writes to a variety of deceased famous people and draws comparisons from there lives and what is going on in her own. Over the past year, Laurel and her family have been trying to cope with the passing of her older sister, May. Through these letters, Laurel in a way seeks advice and makes slow improvements that also lead to her finding a way to accept her sisters death. The letters start as a school assignment to write one letter to any one deceased person. Laurel chooses Kurt Cobain, her sister's favorite. From there she writes several others to Amy Winehouse, Judy Garland, Heath Ledger, River Phoenix and a few others.

I found the book to be beautiful. There were a few parts that were pretty heavy, but these occur more towards the end. The end is definitely where I started crying! I definitely recommend this book to everyone. I got through it pretty quickly, which is something that I like in a summer read.

<3 Ashley

Have you read "Love Letters to the Dead?" What did you think? Do you think you will read it if you haven't?

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

By now I am sure that you have seen the 5-minute video "Look Up" that has made a few bloggers (at least in my blogroll!) take a step back and think about social media, how they use it, and HOW OFTEN they use it. It certainly did that for me! If you haven't seen the video, please take 5-minutes now and do yourself that favorite and check it out here.

It is truly amazing how often a person can be caught looking down at a screen, not paying attention to what's going on around them. It's also amazing how much we miss when doing this! As a blogger, I know that I am so very guilty of constantly checking my email on my phone to see if I have any new comments, or how when silence hits when I am with someone my go-to move is to whip out my phone and see what is happening on Facebook or Twitter. How did I let this happen to myself??? I don't know about you, but I do think that it is a problem that personal, face-to-face conversation is not what it used to be!

This video did make an impact on how I view technology and social media. I have made a few promises to myself, not to completely cut it out because that is nearly impossible but to limit my use of it. For one, I have deleted Twitter and Facebook apps from my phone. That is the worst right there--having those apps with you on the go ensures that you are pretty much connected 24/7. This also limits how often I look down at my screen in order to combat a silence in a conversation...now I actually have to talk! Now the blog. I obviously love blogging! But it does take up some time. Here's my compromise. Once...only one part of the day will I dedicate to the blog and blog-related activities. Everything will be done in the morning with my morning cup. The rest of the day is blog-free.

If everyone takes steps to limit their tech and social media use and takes sometime to look up we can learn that we don't need to rely on it so much to entertain us and get us through the day. There is so much else around us that we have not paid much attention to that can do that job instead!

<3 Ashley

Have you seen the video? What are your thoughts? Does it change how you view social media and technology?
Also...anyone else see the irony in the post following a post devoted to my Pinterest addiction?? It's a process people! One step at a time.

Monday, May 5, 2014

A couple of years ago we embarked on a relationship that--to be honest--I did not think would last too long. There are lots of other social media sites that I am on like Facebook and Twitter that recently I have begun to not see as much of. But you...you I have been seeing a bit more. I find myself organizing boards, putting them in a specific order and picking cover photos that are the most visually appealing and work well with the other board cover photos.

You have always been there for me when I have needed inspiration or needed something to do. You are there for me on rainy days, slow days, and days when I need a break or a little distraction from what I should be doing. Even five minutes turns into an hour and a half with you. You always know what I want to see--beautiful, colorful and inspired photos and quotes paint your homepage just waiting for me to scroll through and choose what I see fit for my own boards. You have become a very creative, calming and therapeutic activity for me. What I'm trying to say is...I appreciate you, and thank you.

Here's to many more years together!

<3 Ashley

Haha! Okay...so it's not an extreme relationship that I have with Pinterest, but it is very therapeutic sometimes! Are you on Pinterest? Follow my boards here.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Today is the beginning of May, and it is beginning (in my opinion!) in the best way possible. It is gorgeous outside! April ended with two days straight of rain showers and now the sun is out and the window are open. Let's get those May flowers blooming! May is absolutely the quintessential spring month: the temperatures are pretty consistently beautiful, there are more bunnies in the backyard, the grass has its color back, and the flowers are coming out. All I need here is the leaves to be back on all of the trees and I am in full spring mode--get on that, Mother Nature!

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

My summer break has just started and already I find myself daydreaming of the vacations that could be but won't be. This is the problem with getting out so early...none of my friends are home yet so I have no distractions to keep me from the daydreaming. These daydreams are going to stay that way too...I have no budget to go anywhere--the struggles of the modern college student! It doesn't help that everyone I follow on Twitter or Instagram is constantly posting their adventures in all of these places that I want to be. Here are just a few of the things that I have been daydreaming about:

A beach vacation. This is what I long for every day of the year! Haha! I cannot tell you how many times I sat in statistics and dreamt of just falling asleep on the sand with the sound of waves hitting the shore. How relaxing does that sound?

A music festival. I have never been to one and I really want to! A few years ago they started the Mixtape Festival in Hershey which is so close to me, but I always end up either on vacation or heading back to school when it comes around. As a music fan, this is something that I would love to do at some point!

A roadtrip. My friends have been talking about taking a roadtrip next summer to check out grad-schools down south and part of me wants to just tag along so that I can see the sites! At some point I think it would be super cool to take a cross country trip.

<3 Ashley

What are some trips you want to take this summer? Any of these in the near future?**Images are linked to websites

Monday, April 28, 2014

...and it has most definitely been real fun! I'm officially back home from school for the next four months. Sophomore year was definitely the best one yet! My roommate and I spent our last night together reminiscing about the year and how great it really was. We expanded our friend group and added some guys to it--an accomplishment that we are probably the most excited about. We are already excited to get back for junior and get the fun started with everyone again! We have already discussed the first week back and having a couple of dinners and outings before classes start.

But that is all four months away. I have this summer to look forward to; and I am definitely looking forward to it! Since I have been home I have been unpacking (still not done!) and applying for jobs. Hopefully I can get some work soon because boy do I need to start saving for junior year! Having apartment style living and a minimal meal plans means plenty of grocery shopping. I do not really have any huge plans for the summer, but I kind of like that. It will be nice, relaxing and laidback. Before we left, my roommate and I agreed that we were going to take this summer to work on ourselves. For me that means I'm really going to focus on being healthy--back to morning runs and cooking some great food! I also really want to do a lot of reading. I have downloaded some new books to my Kindle and am very excited about sitting on the deck and spending my afternoon reading through them.

While I am getting antsy for junior year (when is it appropriate to start a countdown?) I am also anticipating a great summer spent the way that I want to spend it!

Friday, April 25, 2014

Happy Friday everyone! I don't think anyone is as happy to see this weekend come as I am. This time tomorrow I will be home and hopefully at least a little unpacked! That's right...after my 8 AM final tomorrow my sophomore year of college will be over. Woo! I cannot wait to get my summer started. I already have a few things that I am looking forward to. One of those things being the release of the film, Jersey Boys. That's right! They have made a film adaptation of the Broadway musical to be released June 20th and I am probably way to excited for it. It's the music...it always gets me. Check out the trailer here! I apologize ahead of time for the fact that after watching it "Big Girls Don't Cry" will be stuck in your head for the next week. :)

Monday, April 21, 2014

Happy Monday everybody! Yes...even though it is the beginning of a very trying time I like to call Finals Week it is still a pretty solid Monday! It is absolutely gorgeous in Pittsburgh today and yesterday was Easter and the weather for that was just as fabulous. We went to the 10 AM mass and then followed up with a delicious brunch which I capped off with, of course, ice cream.

Unfortunately, after brunch my Easter was pretty much over so I did what any student on this campus is doing...studied for finals. I grabbed a blanket and sat under the Sun making my notecards for astronomy. Today I was out there again for a good two hours studying and get a good bit of color--no burn though! My roommate and I have also started packing up our room. It is a pretty heartbreaking task, honest. We have had so much fun in this room and have had many great nights hanging out with out friends. But at the same time we are pretty pumped to come back in August and move our stuff into an APARTMENT! We cannot wait to finally have a kitchen and our own rooms.

However, for now I can't be thinking those happy thoughts yet. I have to get through the stress of exams and final papers this week as well as packing away my sophomore year memories. Happy Finals Week, folks!

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Does anyone else get as excited about Easter as I do? I mean, I am definitely not excited on the level that I was when I was younger--Easter egg hunts can get a kid seriously amped. But I do love the spring-y things that we typically see on Easter. Pastel colors, flowers, dresses, and colorful eggs all make me absolutely swoon on Easter Sunday. It also marks the end of Lent, which means we can once again indulge in all that we have given up over the past 40 days. Keep an eye on your ice cream and donuts if you do not want me to take them!

<3 Ashley

Join in with sharing what you love about Easter! You can learn about the Four Favorites linkup by clicking on the button below!

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

If I have to watch it snow, I might as well do it from inside Peet's :)

This entire weekend I have found something to do outside and even got a little bit of a pre-summer glow going. Here we are on Tuesday experiencing temperatures under 40 degrees and it's SNOWING. Yeah, Mother Nature, don't think I didn't notice. It was around 80 degrees on Sunday and now it's flipping snowing. I am finding it more and more difficult to cope with the inconsistency of this weather. My immune system hasn't been completely healthy since the end of March because of this constant back and forth. I really do not remember it being anywhere near this bad last year.

It is mid-April and today I took a snowflake to the eye on the way to class. Is this you punishing me for something? What did I do and how can I earn your forgiveness in the quickest way possible? If you could, please find it in your heart to end this madness and return Pittsburgh to the beauty that it experienced this weekend. It would be very much appreciated.

Monday, April 14, 2014

The 70s...that is where temperatures were all weekend and it was pretty much the best weekend since Light Up Night earlier in the winter. You know it was a good weekend because I got zero school work done! Seriously, this is the last week of classes and I am so far behind it is not even funny. I am stressed but I am by no means mad at myself. Sure, I have a speech to give Wednesday that is only half written but it was worth it for what we did. Saturday my roommate and I to a trip to the Monongahela Incline to take in a daytime view of Pittsburgh and enjoy the sun with a couple of our friends from our floor. This was followed by an impromptu mid-afternoon trip to Primanti's for fries. Then we spent the time until the sunset back on campus (outside!) having a catch.

Timeflies. This man specifically was very attractive ;)

Then yesterday we had a little birthday brunch for a couple of the girls whose birthdays are a week or two after we leave Pittsburgh. Let me tell you, Double Wide Grill in SouthSide...their brunch is fantastic! I got the veggie omelet and was so beyond satisfied. My roommate and I got back to campus intent on getting work done despite the gorgeous near 80 weather when all of a sudden the guys invited us to the concert that was happening on campus. So instead of speech writing I found myself on Bigelow Boulevard waiting for Timeflies to perform. The show was fantastic and so much fun! I really don't think I could have asked for a better, incredibly non-productive weekend!

Friday, April 11, 2014

I know, I know...it's been pretty much the entire week. What's my excuse now?? Pretty much the same; I have been bombarded with so much work. The semester is approaching its end and my professors are under the impression that "Eh...maybe we can fit in like three more writing assignments." What a horrible idea! Anyway, that's my story. Also it has been so nice out lately that I have been spending as much time outside and off the computer as possible. It's nice to disconnect once in awhile.

Also, my mood has been a little out of hand only to be briefly stabilized by nice temperatures. What's the matter? I willingly removed ice cream and donuts from my life for 40 days. I like to give something up for Lent despite the fact that I'm not the most religious person in the world...I try though. This year I really wanted to give up something difficult. For me that is ice cream and donuts--my blood is pretty much one part cookies and cream, one part boston cream, and one part coffee. I actually have done extraordinarily well with this too! Up until this week I had not even thought about dessert. However, Easter is so close yet so far away. I'm starting to get restless and have had increasing fantasies about dipping donuts in ice cream. Plus, I've been so stressed with all this school work that there is nothing more I want than to stress eat a pint of Cherry Garcia. I plan on staying strong though! I've already made it this far!

<3 Ashley

Is there something you've given up? How difficult has it been for you?

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

Disclaimer: This post will include absolutely no April Fools pranks. No foolin'!

Now that we've got that out of the way...HAPPY APRIL! April has to be one of my favorite months solely because this is the month that spring weather is ushered in. Today is supposed to be a wonderful 72 degrees!! Needless to say, the sundress and cute wedges are on and ready to go.

Much of the content on the blog this month is going to have a lot to do with spring. I'm talking spring trends, spring adventures and just tons of pictures of flowers really. Just consider this "Spring Things" month!

Monday, March 31, 2014

Well we're finally coming up on April which means that the semester is at last winding down and sophomore year is about a month away from ending (cue the violins!) There's still so many things that my friends and I want to do and so many places that we still want to go. We only have about three weekends left before finals which is sending us all into panic mode. WHERE DID THE TIME GO?

Anyway, in my internet reading this past week I came across this post on The Everygirl. I thought it was a great idea to challenge myself to journal everyday this month. I do keep a journal, but recently it has been a place to let my frustrations out. However, this month I am going to journal a little differently. I am going to write everyday no matter what happened; the good and the bad. I will be starting it off on a good note because tomorrow is supposed to be in the 70s?!?! What?! Dresses and heels are coming out people!

Monday, March 24, 2014

So this was probably the worst weekend I have ever experienced! It started out normal with brunch with some people on my floor and the Pitt basketball game. I should have known that everything would go downhill when Pitt lost the game. What started out as a stomachache quickly snowballed into what I can only assume was some very unforgiving food poisoning. I cannot say I have ever been that sick in my life! I spent all of Saturday night running back and forth between my bed and the bathroom and trying to keep at least some Gatorade down--that was pretty unsuccessful.

I think I finally fell asleep around 2 but kept waking up throughout the rest of the night. Sunday was a little bit better, but still no appetite for food. I also had a lovely time trying to study for an exam and write a speech both of which were today. I can say with confidence that I pretty much failed the exam...I failed it hard. As far as the speech goes, my professor was very understanding and agreed to let me deliver it on Wednesday instead so that I have more time to focus and prepare.

Luckily today I do feel a lot better than I did this weekend--just a little tired and still without much of an appetite. I am so happy that it's over and am so grateful for all of my friends on the floor who were constantly checking up on me and making sure I had food and drinks. Thank God for friends!

Friday, March 21, 2014

I know I missed the first day of spring yesterday, but let's face it...I was too busy enjoying it! Free Rita's Italian ice anyone? However, I did receive quite the blow when I looked at my weather app and saw that next week was supposed to be in the 30s! Come on, spring! I am longing to break out the dresses and flats; I've been with out them for far too long!!

On a separate note, for the first time I filled out a NCAA Tournament bracket with a very limited knowledge of college basketball aside from what I know about my own team. Needless to say, I will not be a billionaire with a perfect bracket, and I have Ohio State to thank for that. Good looking out, guys! :P However, Pitt won their game against Colorado--bring it on, Florida!! Hail to Pitt!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Being on Spring Break really meant for me that I could sit around all day and do all of the leisure reading that I wanted to do. That's why your getting another book club post so close to the last one. "The Nanny Diaries" by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus is not as recently released as the other books that I have been reading and writing about, but it has been on my list for quite some time. I actually was not aware of this book until I had seen the movie--starring Scarlett Johansson and Chris Evans. I absolutely loved the movie which I saw in theaters when it came out in like..2007 (the book came out in 2002!)

I realized almost immediately that the book and movie were similar but by no means as close as some movies are to their literary inspirations. The story follows Nanny who is a senior in college and makes her money from nannying gigs around NYC. The focus here is on one family on the Upper East Side, the Xes who pretty much neglect their child. Nanny goes from being a part-time nanny to practically a full time caregiver and assistant to Mrs. X. She also plays witness to the drama and dysfunction of this family and marriage all while developing a relationship with a guy in the building "Harvard Hottie" <---Chris Evans in the movie...I swoon every time. ;)

I did like the movie better but at the same time I did very much enjoy the book! There is a sequel that I MAY get around to reading; not sure if that will be anytime soon. Anyway, I would recommend this book. I got through it rather quickly and found it quite entertaining.

<3 Ashley

Have you read "The Nanny Diaries"? Have you seen the movie? What are your thoughts?

Hey there folks! Just wanted to stop by quickly and bring this event to the attention of all my readers in the Pittsburgh area. RadioChumps, a local digital lifestyle magazine is celebrating its second anniversary! In celebration they are throwing quite a shindig this Thursday March 20 in Lawrenceville from 6-9 pm at Jules Boutique and complimentary wine will be provided by Pittsburgh Winery. If you have the chance, be sure to stop by to take a little part in the celebration!

Monday, March 17, 2014

I cannot express enough how relaxing last week was for me. I'm going to be so upset when I graduate and Spring Break is not an option for me anymore. I will say that by Spring Break standards, it was rather uneventful--the struggles of the poor college student. I was quite alright with this though; after a week of study, study, study I was very happy to have the chance to just be lazy for 10 solid days. I'm talking sleeping in, camping on the couch in front of the television, making whatever food I want, and blazing through some leisure reading. I have another Book Club post in the works for ya already!

But that dreamy, relaxing week is over. It ended with the long and boring bus ride back to the 'Burgh yesterday. It's time to get back to business. We are in the last stretch of the semester and things are going to start getting busy for me all the while my friends and I are going to be planning as much fun as we can before we are separated for four long months. So I apologize in advanced if the posting is a little thinner than it has been--I think I definitely stepped it up this past week though! Time to attack the last of sophomore year!

<3 Ashley

Any other students on Spring Break have fun plans?! (I know a bunch have break this week!)

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

So I finally did it! For the past year or so friends and other people around me have encouraged me to pick up "The Fault In Our Stars" by John Green and give it a read. I am so glad that I did; I found that it really lived up to the hype. That's just my personal opinion though.

The story follows two cancer patients, Hazel and Augustus, as they meet and develop a beautiful relationship. I really don't want to spoil too much for those who have not read it yet! There was quite a bit of humor in the novel, which was very nice considering that the characters were dealing with something serious; it was refreshing to get some jokes from those characters in particular because they're also teenagers.

I went very quickly through this book. It was an easy book to follow and I honestly did not want to put it down. I grew very attached to these characters and their personalities which may have made the last few chapters even worse for me--I cried like a baby! If you do pick up this book, prepare for the feels! I highly recommend this book! Also, I believe their making/have made a film adaptation of the book. Not sure if I'm going to be able to sit through that with dry eyes...I couldn't even deal with the end of "The Last Song" in theaters!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Once in awhile, when I am watching the news at night a story will catch my attention and I will begin to obsessively research. Well last night just that happened. The story I am referring to discussed the efforts of a group, Lean In, to have the word "bossy" banned. The bossy label is something that has effected women for years with the perception that if you come off as too aggressive or "bossy" then there is a good chance that the people around you will not like you.

Even young girls are starting to get the message that participating and speaking up too much in class will earn her the label of overachiever which should by no means be a bad thing! I know that I have felt this sometimes as well. I mean, a lot of my quiet demeanor comes from the fact that I am simply a very shy person. However, I have observed how some of my peers reacted to the girls who were very active and vocal during discussions--judgmental, disapproving, joking looks.

Through high school and my time in college so far, I have had to step up a bit in group projects and presentations due to the fact that a lot of times the people in my group were not very clear and organized in terms of what they wanted to do. I am happy that I have been able to boost my leadership abilities a bit, but at the same time the voice in my head is reminding me to take it down a notch and maintain my likability.

WHY IS THIS EVEN A CONCERN?! Why is the fact that I want to get something done in an organized way a bad thing? Why can't women be the least bit assertive without being labeled bossy or mean? Is society really still that insecure?

Monday, March 10, 2014

As I'm sure you are aware, this past weekend we set our clocks forward and lost an hour of sleep. What followed was probably the longest Sunday I have ever experienced in my life! I was up early to get coffee and breakfast with my mother. It felt like we had been sitting there talking for hours before we left to go to the store. When we came out of the store we saw that it was just past 10 AM!

However, I have big plans for the rest of this spring break! I will enjoying the fact that these next two days are going to see temperatures in the high 50s and possibly low 60s? I've heard rumors. :) I am dedicating a majority of my time this week to some spring cleaning. My room may be small but I can be quite a hoarder throughout the year. It's that time to lighten the load again. Then I have a day set aside to hang out with the few friends of mine that are home now too.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Well, we are about a week into March and tomorrow I am heading home for spring break 2014. I hate that we have spring break so early because it never actually feels like spring...at least the kind of weather I associate spring with. I check ahead on the weather at home and it looks like it could get up into the low 50s for a few days though! In any event today it's a cool 30 degrees. But the sun is out and I had quite the vision this morning when I was sitting at my desk by the window working: birds! A few flocks of birds made rounds right past my window and one bird actually sat outside it for a few minutes. Does this mean that spring is finally making its way back to the mid-Atlantic?! Man oh man I hope so! I am bursting to bring out the spring wardrobe!

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

If I haven't said so already I will now; college is not the place to read for fun. I honestly have no time during my day anymore to just sit down, put my feet up and read for a good stretch. Lately I have been waking up earlier to give myself a less rushed morning routine. I now wake up an hour earlier than I did before to have some water before I drink my coffee (a tip I picked up from my last book club read!) and in that hour I also catch up on some reading. This past weekend I was able to finish the latest, "Where'd You Go Bernadette?" by Maria Semple.

The book takes place in Seattle for the most part. A good bulk of the content is not so much narrative as is typical but is meant to be a compilation of important documents like e-mails, letters and reports to give the reader a little insight to a variety of characters and what they are thinking about Bernadette before and after she goes missing.

All the documents are compiled by Bernadette's daughter, Bee who is concerned with finding her mother while it seems like everyone else around her does not seem to be putting up much of an effort. Overall, I loved this book! I had heard A LOT about it; it seemed to be really popular around the holidays if I remember correctly. I admit the references to Seattle were kind of lost on me since I'm not familiar with it but that is in no mean detrimental to what I thought of the book. I definitely recommend it!

<3 Ashley

Have you read "Where'd You Go Bernadette?" What did you think? If you haven't read it, do you think you will?

Monday, March 3, 2014

I will be completely honest...I didn't watch the Oscars. Don't get me wrong! I definitely would have watched it if I had a TV. Alas, my roommate and I no longer have one. But I did manage to keep semi-updated on the night's festivities--red carpet fashion in particular. I stayed up really just to see if Leo would finally get his long overdue Oscar...foiled again! However, from what I understand Matthew McConaughey was very deserving of this award this year as well. I don't know...I didn't actually see any of the nominated films. I will try to make it a point to see a bunch of them though! Hey, I do have a spring break coming up.

Fashion wise, I don't think I've seen enough of the dresses to give you my official best/worst dressed choices. However, from the pictures I did see through the night I definitely have two favorites!

I loved Jennifer Garner's Oscar de la Renta fringe gown. She looked so glamorous! I also adored the color and look of the Prada dress that Lupita Nyong'o wore to the ceremony; it was very reminiscent of Cinderella for me!

<3 Ashley

What did you like about the 2014 Oscars? Best/worst dressed in your opinion?

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

I think we can all agree that the sun has been fairly M.I.A. through this winter (at least it has been in Pittsburgh!) We did get a little glimpse of it thought this weekend with some nice temperatures as well. Alas, yesterday I woke up and saw snowflakes falling--curse you, Father Winter! But I did get a little sunshine in my day; however, it wasn't the natural sun that we are all craving.

ATG and I were nominated for the Sunshine Award by the lovely ladies over at The Attic! I love awards like these because they are given to bloggers by their blogging peers. I am beyond thrilled that they considered my blog when they were coming up with their nominee list.

So here are the specifics of the Sunshine Award:
1) Display the award on your ever deserving blog
2) Say "thank you" to the wonderful person to have nominated you
3) Give us 10 interesting things about yourself
4) Nominate some of your favorite blogs
5) Link to those blogs in your post and let them know that you've nominated them!

10 Things about Ashley (you may or may not find them interesting...)
- I'm an ISFJ (that's Introverted Sensing Feeling Judging) as determined by the Myers-Briggs personality test. I actually find this to be super accurate for me personally.
- I still harbor dreams of being a princess at Disney World. Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty are my personal preferences.
- I'm super interested in history. It is currently my minor and I'm considering making it my second major.
- My favorite color is gold. I didn't really think this was interesting before, but my friends pointed out to me that I am the only person they know that has named gold as a favorite.
- I'm not a huge Beyonce fan. Are you still breathing? Haha! My friends can't even deal with me when I say this...but it's true.
- My favorite Girl Scout cookie is the Samoa (or if you're like me you still refer to them as Caramel DeLights)
- I thoroughly enjoy watching black and white movies. There's just something glamorous and simple about them compared to today's movies.
- I'm still holding my breath for an NSYNC reunion tour. It's gonna happen right?
- I used to play baseball and that was the only team sport I have ever played. I'm not a hugely athletic person but sometimes I still like to grab a glove and go outside to toss the ball around.
- I love to cook! We are all thrilled because next year we are getting an apartment style dorm with a kitchen. We even have a Pinterest board devoted to recipes we want to try!

Next step, nominate some blogs! There are so many out there that I read daily, but I will only list a few because let's be honest, this list could go on for days!

Awards/Other

The ideas on this site are those of Ashley Rizzardo and will be cited otherwise. Images are cited to the site that I acquired them from. If an image is yours and is not credited to you, please send me a message and I will cite the image or remove it.